'Law have no answer to four-midable Immaculata

Editorial Department • Published 4 Mar 2010 14:13 0 Comments

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Immaculata 4; Lisbellaw United 0;

Lisbellaw United fell to holders Immaculata in the quarter-finals of the Coca-Cola Junior Challenge Cup on the 4G pitch at Grosvenor Road on Saturday.

The Belfast side, who are hoping to win three in a row in the competition, were deserved winners although the scoreline was somewhat harsh on the visitors who held their own for long periods of the contest.

The main turning point of the game though arrived 15 minutes before half time. Having grown into the encounter Lisbellaw should have been awarded a penalty when Keith McGowan was upended by goalkeeper Gerard Smith but inexplicably the referee did not see any infringement and the home side moved the ball down the field for Stephen Dynes to tuck the ball under goalkeeper James McGrath, who pulled off a string of impressive saves for the Fermanagh side, for 1-0.

Immaculata doubled their advantage after the break and then two late goals secured their passage into the last four of the competition.

Lisbellaw manager James McGrath accepted that the best side won, although he was bewildered as to how the referee never awarded his side a penalty.

"Why he didn't give the penalty I will never know, it was a stonewall. Keith McGowan went around the goalkeeper and was pulled down and everybody who was there thought it was a penalty. If that had gone in and we had gone one up then it would maybe have been a different game but overall they were the better side. They were sharper and quicker to the ball," he said.

McGrath also felt that the pitch was a big advantage to Immaculata.

"They play and train on it every week so they are used to playing on it and I would say that it is worth a goal every game to the them where we found it difficult to adjust to it," he commented.

Immaculata were the brighter side in the opening 20 minutes but with Lisbellaw defending well they managed to come through this period unscathed and as the half wore on they began to impose themselves on the contest. And with 30 minutes on the clock the away side cut open the Immaculata defence with McGowan taking the ball around goalkeeper Smith only for the netminder to pull him to the ground with the goal at his mercy.

The referee though waved away the Lisbellaw appeals and Immaculata swiftly moved the ball down the pitch with a ball over the top taken down by Dynes before being pushed under McGrath for 1-0.

Immaculata produced some tidy football in the middle of the park but Lisbellaw did have a couple of half chances through Matthew McFrederick and Paul McGrath (inset) that they failed to capitalise from while McGowan had a gilt edged opportunity that he put wide from eight yards out.

The opening spell in the second half was nip and tuck but Immaculata struck a decisive second goal as Daniel Collins headed home a Christopher Lawlor corner. Another Lisbellaw chance fell to Andy Reilly but he hit Smith's knee before the ball was fired clear and although there looked to be a push in the back on a Lisbellaw defender Immaculata went on to make it 3-0. And at the death they added on a fourth to secure their place in the semis while Lisbellaw will now focus their attentions on the Mercer Cup.

This article appeared in Impartial Reporter 04 Mar 10

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